Mission Pet Health pushes back on mid-level veterinary role

Mission Pet Health, one of the largest veterinary care organizations in the US, has issued a formal position statement opposing the Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) role, arguing the new mid-level position threatens care standards without meaningfully solving the workforce shortages it was designed to address.¹

In its statement, Mission Pet Health said it recognizes the intent behind the VPA initiative but believes the role "undermines the standards of care the veterinary profession is built upon" without addressing the workforce issues it targets.

The organization pointed to the depth of the training veterinarians are required to go through as a key concern, noting that veterinary school requires an undergraduate degree followed by a doctor of veterinary medicine curriculum that includes at least 130 weeks of direct instruction and a minimum of 40 weeks of hands-on clinical education. By comparison, the company said, the VPA pathway "bypasses the rigorous academic and clinical preparation foundational to veterinary medicine," which it warned could compromise patient care and erode public trust.

Mission Pet Health also raised concerns about the burden the role places on supervising veterinarians, whose licenses would be at risk based on the actions of VPAs who have a fraction of their training. That dynamic, the company said, "may result in exacerbation of workforce challenges rather than helping alleviate them."

On the question of rural and low-income access to care, which the VPA role was partly designed to improve, Mission Pet Health was skeptical that the new position would help. The statement noted that younger veterinarians have generally been reluctant to work in underserved areas, making it unlikely that VPAs would choose to do so. The company also cited projections that the supply of US veterinary school graduates is expected to meet demand through 2035, alongside industry data showing declining clinical volumes and new-client visits, and growing adoption of technology aimed at reducing burnout and improving productivity. Against that backdrop, Mission Pet Health argued, VPAs entering the workforce would end up competing directly with recently graduated, debt-carrying veterinarians for the same clinical work.

Rather than creating a new mid-level role, Mission Pet Health said it favors investing in credentialed veterinary technicians (CrVTs), who already work within established, rigorous education and licensing frameworks. The company said it supports title protection and an expanded scope of practice for licensed veterinary technicians, as well as continued development of veterinary technician specialist programs.

"Empowering CrVTs to carry out an expanded scope of work, equipping them with the enhanced skills and knowledge, and further advanced qualifications necessary to enhance care, they will be enabled to support veterinarians and ensure better outcomes for patients without compromising quality or patient safety," the company said in its statement.

How the VPA role came to be

Colorado voters approved Proposition 129 in November 2024, establishing the VPA position to help ease veterinary workforce shortages. The measure passed narrowly, with approximately 52.2% of the vote, despite opposition from more than 200 veterinary industry organizations, professional associations, and individual veterinary professionals, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association.² House Bill 25-1285 was later signed into law and took effect January 1, 2026, formalizing the requirements for the role.

To become a VPA, candidates must earn a master's degree, pass a credentialing exam, and register with the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine (CSBVM). The American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) has been approved as the developer of the licensing examination, though the CSBVM has yet to name a credentialing agency, with that decision deferred to an August 13, 2026, board meeting.³ Colorado State University's Master of Science in veterinary clinical care, the published curriculum for the role, runs about 2 academic years and includes 3 online semesters (40 credits), 416 hours of in-person training, and a 540-hour clinical internship, for a combined 25 credits.

Notably, the AAVSB adopted a resolution in September 2025 opposing endorsement of the VPA role, arguing that Proposition 129 bypassed the traditional stakeholder-driven legislative process, even as it continues developing the licensing exam for Colorado.³

Under the law, VPAs may diagnose, perform surgery, and order or perform tests and other procedures under supervision by a licensed veterinarian, with each veterinarian overseeing no more than 3 VPAs at a time. VPAs cannot prescribe medication and cannot establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

The company noted it is not alone in its opposition. The AVMA and the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) have all publicly opposed the mid-level practitioner concept. NAVTA's task force concluded earlier this year that the VPA/midlevel practitioner model does not provide sufficient clinical preparation and risks undermining the collaborative, team-based model of veterinary care, recommending instead a progressive, technician-centered education and career pathway built on existing accredited programs and specialty credentialing.⁴

References

1. Mid-level practitioners and veterinary professional associates position statement. News release. Mission Pet Health. August 6, 2026. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://missionpethealth.com/2026/08/06/mid-level-practitioners-veterinary-professional-associates-position-statement/
2. McCafferty C. Coloradans vote yes to midlevel practitioner proposal. dvm360. November 13, 2024. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/coloradans-vote-yes-to-midlevel-practitioner-proposal
3. McCafferty C. AAVSB tapped to develop VPA licensing examination. dvm360. July 22, 2026. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/aavsb-tapped-to-develop-vpa-licensing-examination
4. Alaburda B. NAVTA opposes VPA/MLP model, backs credentialed, tech-centered career pathway. dvm360. March 13, 2026. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/navta-opposes-vpa-mlp-model-backs-credentialed-tech-centered-career-pathway